Ted Cruz Amasses Enormous Fundraising Stockpile Throughout 2013

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced Friday that throughout 2013 his three campaign arms raised $4.16 million.

Cruz made the massive haul over 2013 through his re-election committee, Ted Cruz for Senate, his joint fundraising committee, Ted Cruz Victory Committee, and his leadership PAC, the Jobs, Growth & Freedom Fund.

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About $1.5 million of this fundraising happened in the fourth quarter of 2013. This began during the government shutdown caused by Democrats’ and President Obama’s refusal to compromise on Obamacare after Cruz’s stand, with Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) at his side, against the unpopular healthcare law. Conventional wisdom inside the beltway was that Americans disapproved of Cruz’s and Lee’s tactics, but these fundraising details are yet another indicator that ordinary Americans craved someone who would stand up against Obamacare on their behalf.

“Sen. Cruz’s fourth quarter fundraising numbers are another indication that people across Texas and America are eager to rise up and make DC listen,” Cruz’s chief strategist Jason Johnson said in a statement announcing the numbers. “Thousands and thousands of patriots are putting their money where their mouth is – they’re the ones who are going to save our country, not the Washington Establishment.”

Cruz had received more than 44,500 individual donations last year, more than 41,000 of which were from people who donated less than $100. Almost 30,000 of those donors were first-time donors in 2013, his campaign said.

At the end of 2013’s fourth quarter, Cruz’s three campaign arms had a combined $2,081,893 in cash on hand.

Cruz is widely considered to be a likely 2016 presidential candidate, and these fundraising numbers – especially the hauls from small donors, and enthusiastic support from the grassroots – will only help his case to become the GOP nominee should he run. Perhaps more impressive is that Cruz was able to make this big haul while only in his first year in the United States Senate.